More than two weeks after her service dog was stolen, Santa Cruz resident Ernestina Saldana has been reunited with her Honey.

Honey, a pit bull terrier Saldana adopted from a shelter and trained to assist her, was taken from downtown Santa Cruz on Feb. 1.

Saldana, who uses a wheelchair, has relied on Honey to help get in and out of bed, out of her chair and with other tasks. The dog has also been a great companion for her, she said.

Saldana and her daughter were inside the Bagelry on Feb. 1 for about 15 minutes and left Honey sitting in their unlocked van. When they returned, the dog was gone.

Saldana searched the area, but was unable to find her beloved dog. She spoke with the Sentinel last week and asked for help finding Honey.

An outgoing message on Saldana's voicemail Tuesday announced that Honey had been found and returned to its rightful owner.

No further details were immediately available.

Saldana and Todd Stosuy, field services manager for the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

SANTA CRUZ

Gang member convicted for jail assault

A Santa Cruz County jury convicted a 37-year-old Watsonville man of three charges Tuesday in connection with a jailhouse assault.

Advertisement

Albert Martinez was found guilty of being an active participant in a criminal street gang, possession of a weapon in jail and assault with a deadly weapon. Jurors also found true the special allegations that the crimes were committed for the benefit of a gang.

Martinez and another man, Jesse Andrew Ybarra, attacked a fellow inmate on Aug. 8, 2011, at the Santa Cruz County Jail. The inmate suffered minor injuries and has made a full recovery.

At the time of the attack, Martinez and Ybarra were considered to be high-ranking Norteño gang members.

Martinez faces more than 24 years in prison when he is sentenced, according to the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office. He is due back in court Feb. 27.

Ybarra, 33, was convicted in October of the same charges for his role in the attack. Judge Paul Burdick sentenced him to 10 years in prison in December.

San Mateo County

Human remains found in backwoods terrain

Coroner's investigators are examining human bones that were found by a hiker on Monday in a rugged, remote area of the Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, but officials said they do not believe the remains are those of missing and presumed murdered teen Sierra LaMar.

According to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, a hiker initially found a human skull lying on its side about 100 feet off the trail, approximately two miles west of Skyline Boulevard. About 20 yards away, more bones were found as well as some articles of clothing that suggested the person was male, said sheriff's spokeswoman Rebecca Rosenblatt.

She said the remains did not appear to have been buried, but were laying on a hillside in very steep terrain covered in fallen tree branches and leaves.

San Mateo coroner's supervisor Michelle Rippy said they hope to know more about the person's identity in four or five days after review by a forensic anthropologist. She said no more information was immediately available, but said they do not believe it is LaMar, who went missing March 16 on her way to catch a school bus in Morgan Hill.